Convergence was launched in 2016 as a force to increase private sector investment in developing countries and the SDGs through blended finance. Two years later and that’s exactly what we’re doing.
Here are seven reasons you should be a member, and some milestones we're proud of:
1. A proven track record: Catalyzed $320 million of investment into blended finance structures
Convergence is establishing itself as the premier platform supporting blended structures looking to raise additional funding. Currently, there are over 50 deals on our online deal and investor match-making platform, which we have connected with engaged and credible investors. Cumulatively our activities have raised over $320 million of investment from public, philanthropic, and private investors.
__2. Use the only dedicated blended finance deal pipeline in the world to connect with investment opportunities. __
The 50+ deals on our platform are seeking $1.9 billion in funding. Each deal is already supported by at least one anchor investor and actively seeking additional capital to reach financial close. Investors and those seeking capital can connect directly on live blended finance deals as well as view profiles of Convergence members, their interests, and focus areas. All deals are carefully screened by our team for fit within our mandate and credibility criteria.
3. Access to the largest and most comprehensive database of blended finance transactions
Convergence’s database of historical blended finance deals captures over 2,500 financial commitments to over 380 blended finance transactions, with an aggregate deal size of over $139 billion. Our Blended Finance 101 page offers a preview of some of the data from our database.
Members can use our new Data Insights (requires member login) to generate unique insights about the blended finance market through this powerful comparables set that can be filtered and analyzed across sector, region, size, instrument, investor, impact objective, and much more.
4. Connect with a global network of over 700 blended finance practitioners
These practitioners come from over 300 private, public, and philanthropic member institutions, including USAID, Credit Suisse, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. We host frequent networking events around the world, so our members have the opportunity to meet other actors in this space, forge connections, share lessons learned, and together make the blended finance ecosystem more robust and coordinated.
5. Access to exclusive Convergence intelligence products
Our reports, case studies, and data briefs bolster the evidence base for blended finance and have been referenced in every major blended finance report by key stakeholders, including by OECD, Development Initiatives, and the Blended Finance Taskforce.
Our keystone report, The State of Blended Finance outlines key blended finance trends and developments in the past year and provides an updated analysis of the blended finance market based on Convergence’s continuous data and intelligence collection efforts.
Our new brief series offers a data-driven focus on blended finance benchmarks. Our most recent brief analyzes how much commercial capital can get leveraged by concessional capital.
6. Participate in tailored blended finance trainings and workshops
We provide tailored capacity building sessions for organizations and their staff to increase their knowledge of blended finance. Sessions are catered to organization needs and interests and include participation from industry experts and other Convergence members. Recent sessions include AfDB, OECD, & Sida.
We also host interactive webinars that feature Convergence staff and our members, as well as external experts on select blended finance topics.
__7. A global scope __
Our member institutions come from nearly 40 different countries. This year we also opened our first regional office in Nairobi. Over 50% of blended finance transactions are targeted at Africa, having a regional office on the continent just makes sense. Our Nairobi office is led by Lade Araba and supports our efforts to round out our membership and encourage deal sponsors from every market to bring their blended finance opportunities to our platform.
In these two years, we’ve seen blended finance take its first steps into the mainstream, leaving a mark at major meetings and conferences around the world. As blended finance becomes a buzzword, there’s going to be a lot of noise. We are here to break through that noise and continue to offer the most reliable blended finance deal flow, data, and intelligence.
Join our membership to get access to everything we have to offer and be part of a committed and growing community of blended finance leaders. You can register as a member now and enjoy a trial-period until November 30th.
